Once consumers capture images with their cameras, whether digital or traditional film, they can have prints made from those images, although the methods by which the captured images become printed pictures differs greatly. The consumer also stores the physical prints, and in the case of traditional cameras, can store the negatives. Similarly, in the case of digital images, the consumer can store the files on computer media: hard drives, CD-ROM drives, or other storage devices. Generally, however, consumers using traditional cameras have no simple way of archiving the images on their computer.
Archiving traditional film images involves storage of prints in boxes or photo albums, or digitizing the images for archiving on a computer. Electronic media recordings, received from the professional processor make this step easier, although the software to automatically archive images typically is not user friendly. In cases where the consumer did not order electronic media, or where the consumer desires to archive older prints made before the availability of electronic media, the prints can be scanned into the computer using a digital scanner. Such scanners, and their necessary software systems, are discussed below.
Digital Scanners
Consumers can scan prints, both old and new, into computers using digital scanners and associated software. Typical scanners have a variety of features that determine their quality and simplicity of use, including scanning resolution, color depth, one-touch buttons, and other features, each of which is discussed below. Scanners also allow consumers to scan documents and non-photographic images into a computer for further processing. Documents can be converted from image files into text and electronic documents, editable by standard word processing programs. Sketches and drawings can be turned into electronic images.
Scanning Resolution:
The optical resolution of the images acquired by digital scanners is a function of the number of pixels in the CCD/CIS unit of the scanner. Scanning is done in a Cartesian mode, i.e., a linear array of pixels are mounted on a bar transverse to the longitudinal (vertical) axis of the scan area; the bar is moved as a unit along a path normal to the orientation of the bar (or the image being scanned is moved relative to the bar). A pixel is a small area on the surface of an image sensor that is sensitive to light. The pixel measures the intensity (brightness) of the image and the scanner forms an image from the combination of pixels. In that way, the number of pixels on the scanner's image sensor bar determines the horizontal optical resolution of the scanner. The distance the bar or paper advances between acquisitions determines the vertical resolution. For example, a scanner with a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi).times.1200 dpi has 600 pixels on its sensor bar which moves 1/1200 of an inch between each acquisition. Together, the horizontal and vertical resolutions constitute the optical resolution and determine the level of detail that the scanner can capture. Typical digital scanners today provide optical resolutions around 600.times.1200 dpi, with a few models offering optical resolutions of 1200.times.2400 dpi. Those resolutions are expected to increase with improvements in scanning technology.
Color Depth:
Color depth is ability of the sensor in the scanner to capture accurate color. The sensor captures a combination of three colors (red, green, and blue) and can capture a certain number of shades of each of those colors. The most common scanner sensors capture eight bits of color resolution (two to the eighth power or 256 shades of each color). Today's scanners are capable of capturing eight, ten, or twelve bits of resolution per color. These color depths result in images containing 16.7 million (24-bit, or three 8-bit) colors to 68.7 billion (36-bit, or three 12-bit) colors. Although some new scanners are capable of 42-bit images, most use software to approximate the colors above 36-bits and a few use software to create 48-bit images.
Many scanners scan at a high internal resolution but output the image to the computer at a much lower resolution. The high resolution scanning creates digital image files that are often immense and require the scanner to scan very slowly because of the limited data transfer capabilities between the scanner and the host system. This limitation is dependent upon the transfer protocol used, i.e. USB, EPP or SCSI. There are a variety of compression functions that can speed the transfer, e.g., reducing the final image color depth, using a JPEG compression scheme to reduce the file size, or other methods of reducing the file size. In these ways, the scanner can send the image to a computer much more quickly.
Exemplary Commercially Available Scanner Technology:
By way of example, the Visioneer One Touch™. 8800 Scanner (8800) (Visioneer, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif.) is a digital flatbed scanner with dedicated function buttons that work with integrated software to make scanning tasks simple and fast. The prime features of the 8800 include J.E.T. compression, a proprietary system that uses a compression engine, consisting of one or more compression algorithms, to allow the scanner to complete scans much faster than normal by using various degrees of JPEG compression. The algorithms used for JPEG compression allow consumers to select between the highest image quality and the fastest scanning speed.
The 8800 is completely self-configuring, requiring only that the consumer install the software and plug in the scanner. After that, the software configures the computer in the background. Once connected, the scanner allows the consumer to scan images by placing an image on the scanner glass and touching a single “scan” button. The background scanning software creates an electronic image file and places the scanned, digital image wherever the consumer decides, e.g., in a default directory on the computer or directly to a computer network. A second software-controlled button on the scanner allow a single press of a selected, dedicated, button to instruct the computer to accept a scanned image and send it to a printer. A third dedicated button transmits the image via fax software (with only a telephone number input needed) and allows the consumer to send the image to any fax machine. A fourth dedicated button runs the digital image file (if the image is an image of a document that includes text) through an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program to convert the portions of the image that are of text into actual text data for display or editing, as text. A fifth dedicated button labeled “e-mail” creates an attachment image file and attaches it to an e-mail document that the consumer need only address to an e-mail recipient. The Visioneer Model 8800 hardware includes a sixth button, labeled “custom,” a software-configurable function button that allows the consumer to define the actions taken by the hardware/software system when that button is pressed. The software further allows the consumer to reprogram any of the pre-programmed buttons to activate whatever custom function the consumer selects beforehand.
Removable Media
There are several basic types of removable electronic or magnetic data storage media currently available for digital imaging. These currently include, but are not limited to, Compact Flash Memory cards, Smart Media cards, PC Cards (PCMCIA Cards), Memory Sticks, Multi Media cards, Secure Digital cards, and the like. The consumer can insert these various media “cards” into dedicated special-purpose card readers that transfer images contained in the cards to a computer. Each of the media cards uses its own proprietary technology to accomplish the same storage task.
“Digital film” is the generic term that the field has adopted for such removable media cards designed specifically for use in digital cameras. Current digital film readers typically consist of a cable and a device through which software on a computer can download the digital image data to the computer for creating a file and for processing. Many cameras can also act as digital film readers in that they can directly transfer to computers the digital image data that they have stored on inserted digital film. Such cameras, however, are typically limited in battery life and transfer speed, and the camera must be linked to the computer for the entire time it takes for the transfer. Accordingly, such transfers are inconvenient, and consumers consequently purchase separate card readers to attach to their computers.
Photo Printers and Scanners
Some currently available computer printers now include digital-film readers built into the printer body. As stand-alone devices, these printers can read certain media and immediately, without a computer, print the image files that are stored on the media. The Lexmark/KODAK Model PM100 printer can read some digital film, namely, Compact Flash and Smart Media cards. Special features on the printer allow the consumer to size, crop, and, to a very limited degree, edit images directly on the printer. Consumers can also print out an index of all the images stored on their removable media cards. In addition, the KODAK Model PM100 printer permits direct printing of image files from Iomega Zip disks, and permits transfer of the image data files to an Iomega Zip disk, without a computer interface. The Microtek (Redondo Beach, Calif.) ImageDeck is a scanner connected to an Iomega Zip drive that allows consumers to save scanned images on Iomega Zip disks.
Although the above technologies are currently available on the market, there is no integration of these products into a simple, easy to use, single solution for transferring both traditional photos and digital images into consumer computers and allowing easy archiving. There is thus an unmet need in the art for a more comprehensive integrated hardware and software system.
The Invention Summary, Including Objects and Advantages
The invention is directed to digital image acquisition and transfer devices, image data storage, image data handling and management, hardware control, image archiving, and paper-to-electronic-form-image document conversion and operational software therefor. More particularly, the invention comprises image input devices of which specific examples include digital scanners, digital media readers, or a combination of the two, and software that makes possible the complete processing and archiving of digital images with the press of a single button or the act of inserting the media in the device. The inventive processing and archiving image management includes non-camera digital image acquisition, data transfer, display, manipulation (including cropping, adjusting colors, and other such editing), storage, thumbnailing, printing, and electronic transmittal of processed digital image data. In addition to replicating the traditional photographic film development process for digitally acquired images in a software enablement, the inventive image management software adds substantial functional features in the context of user-friendly ease and speed of use.
The inventive hardware and software provide a system for uploading digital images from scanned prints, negatives, or digital film via the inventive hardware. The inventive system converts the raw, digitized images into standard computer files, such as JPEG files, which permits professional printing by sending the image files to a printer or to a professional printing service, such as PhotoWorks. Moreover, in the embodiment that employs a digital scanner to scan prints or negatives, the inventive hardware and software system allows the traditional film camera user to digitize images from the traditional film prints and negatives, thereby extending the inventive processing to traditional film.
The inventive system apparatus is described by reference to a scanner, such as the Visioneer 8800 by way of example and not by way of limitation. In a first embodiment, the apparatus aspect of the invention comprises a digital scanner incorporating at least one digital film reader (“card” media reader), linked to, and logically controlled by, the inventive software. The scanner preferably supports an improved image resolution by increasing the optical resolution to 1200.times.4800 dpi by employing a tightly packed sensor bar that can read 1200 dpi (1200 pixels per inch of length of the bar) and moves 1/4800th of an inch between lines of scanning. The inventive apparatus, however, is not limited to the presently preferred image resolution and can be any typical scanner resolution, including future higher resolution scanners. In addition, the preferred scanner includes a 42-bit color sensor that optically captures 42-bits of color depth, which can be enhanced electronically to a 48-bit output. The scanner subassembly of the invention can scan images at 42-bit resolution, and can transfer the acquired image data to the computer without degrading the image color, providing a realistic color rendering.
In this first embodiment, the digital film reader comprises at least one removable media reader that transfers image data between the digital film and the inventive software. The hardware and software system of the invention automatically detects the insertion of the media into the one or more readers and routes the image data to the pre-selected application, as directed by the dedicated hardware or software button selected.
The inventive hardware can support one or more digital film readers. The hardware can be connected to the computer system through a USB, FireWire, SCSI, IEEE 1394, or a functionally equivalent port. The inventive hardware contains an internal seven port USB hub, with the scanner and one or more digital film readers permanently connected as USB peripherals. In this way, the inventive hardware can optionally have one or more available USB ports to which other USB peripherals, including digital cameras, can be connected.
The digital film readers included in this hardware embodiment can be set up, by the software of the system, to be recognized by the attached computer system as separate removable media drives. Thus, once installed, the inventive apparatus is reflected on the computer as at least one removable media disk drive, to which a letter is assigned by the computer operating system. As such, the computer can access any files on inserted digital film. The computer can thus read and write files to the digital film, and such files can include not only digital image files, but also any other files.
The method by which the software system enables the computer to access the digital film is as if that film is a removable hard drive, thus allowing the computer direct control of digital film still resident in a digital camera. There is then full computer access to the digital film and files can be read or written to, including image data files, document files, and executable files.
Once the apparatus system of the invention either scans an image or reads digital image data from digital film, the software system automatically processes the images in an essentially identical manner. In other words, the software system treats both scanned images and digital camera/digital film pictures in a common manner, once the image data files are acquired.
The software system manages the image data transfer via a menu of destination/action choices, which are enabled both as on-screen menu choices and as dedicated hardware buttons. The choices include the following exemplary transfers (via clickable button images or other icons) of the image data file: to a hard drive either on the local computer or anywhere on a network (for archiving or temporary storage); to a printer; to fax software that subsequently asks for a telephone number and sends the image data as a fax; to an OCR program to convert any text that may be in image format to editable text; to an e-mail program to send the image as an attachment to an e-mail; to any other application that the consumer selects, e.g., PhotoShop (for image manipulation and management); or to directly send images to an associated professional quality photographic processing company, such as PhotoWorks. For local printing, the software system sends the image to a local printer directly connected to the host computer, or via LAN or WAN network. For remote printing, the software system sends the image over the Internet.
In a second embodiment, the scanner may be omitted, leaving a device with at least one digital film reader and the several described one-touch buttons. The digital image data from the reader is processed as described above by the inventive software.
In a third embodiment, the hardware one-touch buttons may be omitted, leaving a device with at least one digital film reader that works automatically in concert with the inventive software. The functionality of this embodiment includes all the inventive software-controlled functionality as described above.